Archive for February, 2008

Yes, Martin Luther King had a dream, and it was to see people of all races “free at last!” This dream was also espoused by a people found in the Bible in the book of Exodus. It starts out by telling how the Hebrew Jacob moved to Egypt with his 12 sons and their families to the count of 70 souls. It is interesting to note the symbolism in the names of the boys:

Sons

1. Reuben 2. Simeon 3. Levi 4. Judah 5. Dan 6. Naphtali

7. Gad 8. Asher 9. Issachar 10. Zebulun 11. Joseph 12. Benjamin.

Meaning of Names

1. See 2. Hear 3. Joined 4. Praise 5. Judge 6. Wrestled

7. Good Fortune 8. Blessed 9. Reward 10. Honor 11. Add 12. Strength.

7 Days of Creation

1. Light 2. Division 3. Seeds 4. Lights 5. Animals 6. Man 7. Rest

7 Dispensation

1. Innocence 2. Moral Responsibility 3. Human Government

4. Promise 5. Law 6. Church 7. Kingdom

7 Stages of Development

1. Punishment and Obedience

2. Instrumental Exchange

3. Interpersonal Conformity

4. Exploratory

5. Law and Order

6. Situational Ethics

7. Universal Ethical Principles

The table above illustrates the consistent manner in which God operates, and is why He can say “for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end(Jer. 29:11).”

In the Age of Innocence He caused the light to appear, which enables us to see. With water representing spirit, “the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament(Gen. 1:7)” can symbolize the faithful and the faithless. Recall Rom. 10:17 where the Apostle Paul said that “faith comes by hearing…”

Jacob’s wife Leah (Gen. 29) thought since she bore him three son he would reciprocate this effort by “joining” her in a more loving marriage. Reciprocation is the underlying theme of the Third Day of Creation. After the fourth son is born she decides to praise God, and in effect her focus shifts from a “lesser light” (her husband) to a “greater light” (God). This son, of course, is the ancestor of the Promised Messiah!

To be a good judge, which corresponds to the fifth son, one has to act according to established laws, and maintain order, as depicted in the way God put the various creatures in their appropriate environment. The birth of the sixth son made Jacob’s wife Rachel (whom he truly loved) felt that she had wrestled and came out “on top” of her older sister, Jacob’s other wife. In terms of Creation, Man is “on top” just as surely as the Church Age is “on top” of the Law; not by replacing it, but by fulfilling it (Mat. 5:17)!

By being victorious one may have the good fortune to enter the Kingdom (which corresponds to the seventh son), and would certainly be a blessing (the eighth son). The ninth son represents God’s reward for the successful completion of our assignments. Leah’s desire for restored honor hinged largely upon Jacob’s appreciation of his tenth son. Finally blessed to give birth, Rachel sought increase with the eleventh son, while Jacob renamed the twelfth to denote his strength.